Making a Screwdriver
gather your tools. You can make this with just two pliers, a hammer and the anvil off a bench vise and a propane torch. Best case scenario: forge, hammer, anvil, tongs, and pliers. For the horn of the anvil you can clamp a piece of pipe in the bench anvil. btw I highly recommend eye protection. it really sucks when the eye doctor has to drill out a piece of metal from your eye.
2. You can pick up key stock at a hardware store. heat one end of the stock, and flatten it using the hammer and anvil.
3. reheat the flattened portion. now you have a couple of choices. when it is orange hot, I grab it with the tongs and take a pair of needle nose pliers and turn the end round. the second option is to stand the stock straight up and hammer down on the tip, this will cause it to curl. continue tapping and for the curl you want.
4. Now we form the handle. again you have a couple of choices. I just grab the tongs in one hand holding the stock, then at orange heat I grab the hot end and turn it around to form the handle. while it is hot I align the shaft. This can also be done by grabbing the stock with pliers or tongs, and laying it across the horn of the anvil or the pipe, and hammering it around to form the loop. it may take a couple of heats to do this.
5. Now to add the twist. I prefer to heat to orange hot to red hot. grab the stock below the loop with the tongs, and then below the end with pliers (lockjaws work great) twist the metal around a couple of turns. you may have to hammer it straight in a couple of heats. otherwise clamp the stock in the vise, grab with tongs or pliers and twist.
6. cut the screwdriver to the length you want it using what ever means you have available. cold chisel, hacksaw, band saw. then heat the blade end and flatten it.
7. now flatten the end of the blade either using a file, grinder, or belt sander.
8.case harden the tip after grinding or sanding to the desired thickness. You can use casenite, or temper the blade. first heat to red hot and quench in water or oil depending on the steel you are using. File the blade until the tip is shiny. now you have a couple of choices. you can stick it in the oven for half an hour until it is straw yellow. you can run the colors by holding the blade over the stove burner on hot, and when it turns straw yellow quench. This can also be done with a torch or on the forge if you put down a plate with a hole in it, and run your blower. This produces a stream of extremely hot air you run the blade through and run the colors to straw yellow.
Now one major warning. any metal lying around assume it is hot. before you pick up the metal always check the temp with the back of your hand. If you burn yourself you can still use your fingers. Hot metal tends to stick and keep burning. do yourself a favor and don't just reach for it.
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